IS it a gallery? Is it a restaurant? A museum? A bar, even? It’s really a bit of everything. Qing Pu Luo, a restaurant serving creative Chinese cuisine cannot find a more fitting place than OCT-LOFT to present its dishes, and more importantly, its selection of artworks.

The predecessor of the restaurant was the owner’s personal workshop and a place where his artworks were created. Years later, the workshop started to function as a gathering place where the owner and his friends caught up with one another. As it became known by more and more people, the once personal abode was eventually transformed into a restaurant open to the public.

Since it opened some 10 years ago, the three-story restaurant has never chosen low costs over good quality food. It promises to serve the best and the most authentic Hunan cuisine with fresh vegetables and other ingredients directly transported from the mountainous areas in Hunan Province. As a result, it has retained many regular nostalgic customers.

Must-try dishes include turtle stew, fried crab with curry paste, diced rabbit meat with orange peels, eggplant stewed with green pepper and fish maw with osmanthus sauce. These dishes are all localized by making them less spicy so that diners from South China who prefer a light flavor can fully enjoy the delicious food.

Great food should be served with quality wine and Qing Pu Luo won’t disappoint you.

The basement of the restaurant is the owner’s personal wine cellar which contains the owner’s and his friends’ top-quality wines.

The first floor is open to guests who can enjoy a glass of beer or margarita by the bar counter while chatting with friends. Furnished in a European style with a modern industrial twist, the bar gives out a classic feel with the warm lights.

When night falls, local musicians play soft folk songs, which will make you leave all your worries behind, allowing you to enjoy the moment.

Outside the bar sit small tables with comfortable back cushions. You can either enjoy afternoon tea with friends during the day or take a sip of wine at night.

As a restaurant hidden in OCT-LOFT, Qing Pu Luo not only fills diners’ stomachs, but also satisfies their appetite for culture.

The second floor used to be a personal studio, but now it is an art gallery which is open to the public. The gallery is a favorite for a number of high-end events including forums, seminars and press conferences. It was once a subvenue for the International Cultural Industries Fair and a venue where Shenzhen’s Top 10 Good Books were announced. Famous companies including Vanke, Tencent, Huawei, Audi and Konka have chosen the restaurant to hold activities.

Inside the gallery, there is a tea room where guests can have a peaceful moment while enjoying a cup of tea.

Private dining rooms on the second floor display a selection of the owner’s art collections.

Mottled wall paintings, old shelves with carved patterns and Thangkas made by the owner all demonstrate the rich cultural atmosphere at Qing Pu Luo. (Yang Mei)